VI: Return of the Ice Warrior?

Cid only had to look at Amy's test scores for a brief time before making his conclusion. Sure enough, she had passed it with flying colors. In fact (he noted grimly), there had only been one other student of Garden who had ever gotten a perfect score on the entrance test--at least until Amy showed up.

"Very impressive, Miss Mizuno," smiled Cid. "It seems as if you're overqualified for Garden. In fact, I'm surprised that you were able to do so well with your memory in its current state."

"Well, ah…" Amy smiled sheepishly, and tried to formulate an excuse for her sudden genius. She knew that no amnesiac would have passed the test that she had been given, but unless she wanted suspicion, she had to think of something.

"No need to say it," smiled Cid. "It just looks as if your memory's returning. And at a very fast rate, to boot!" The two of them smiled, although Amy's grin had a hint of relief in it. She was glad that the Headmaster saw things that way.

"Well, I'm trying very hard," she said. Cid nodded his head, and gave a salute.

"I only hope you continue with this current level of excellence, Miss Mizuno. Well, since you did so well, I really see no reason why we can't make you a full-time student. The semester started two weeks ago, but we can always make exceptions. It might be difficult fitting in, so I'm going to issue you to Instructor Grate's class. You'll find your leverage in her class the easiest, but the challenge is also very much present." Amy bowed her head, and suddenly caught herself as she realized that this was a military institution. She smiled sheepishly, and snapped an impressive salute.

"I'll have Selphie issue you your own school uniform," continued the Headmaster. "You two seem to be the same size, so I'm sure she won't mind letting you have her old outfit. I hope you take hand-me-downs well."

"I, ah, am sure I will, sir," replied Amy. Cid smiled and nodded his head.

"Good, good. Well, since this is a Sunday, class starts tomorrow, so I hope to see you hitting the grindstone!"

"Yes, sir!" Amy performed another salute, and was dismissed from Cid's office.

Amy let out a deep breath as she took the elevator from the third floor to the first. So far, everything was going better than she had hoped. People in this new foreign world were already accepting her. She had acquired something of a friend, and had even gained the respect of the Headmaster and the resident doctor. Now, she even had a place to stay and learn about the new world. Until the time came when she could find a way back to her own world, she would have to live here for the time being.

As the elevator got off, Amy paused and knew right then and there that her timing was bad. Before her stood Selphie and Zell, and their usual entourage of Irvine and Quistis, along with a few others she didn't know. Across from them, looking very angry and irritated, were three hostile persons. None of them were unarmed.

"I don't get it!" shouted one of them. "Why are you jerks being so mean to me?! All I did was wander in here looking for some help, and you treat me like some kind of mongrel!!"

"Ugh, only because you deserve it!" squealed Selphie. "I'm surprised you even had the gall to look at this place again, let alone come here!"

"What are you talking about?" demanded the one who was speaking. "Like I said before, I've never seen this place in my life! None of you look familiar at all! I just came here for some help, and you're treating me like I've got a disease!!"

"Still, Selphie has a point," said Quistis in a calm voice. "You should not have come back here. You knew that this would happen."

"WHAT!! What in the world are you saying?!" screamed the other. "I don't know anything!!"

"You're kidding, right?" scoffed Zell. "You mean to tell us that you don't remember a thing?"

"No, nothing," insisted the other man. Zell growled, and scratched his neck in confusion.

"Yeah, right…"

"Look, I'm telling you that I can't remember a thing!" insisted the man. "All I know is that these people you see me with have been helping me ever since I woke up! They may not be the peak of perfection, but they're a whole lot nicer to me than you all have been!" One of the shouting man's companions smiled proudly, but the other remained still as stone. Amy swallowed, and couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Silently, she made herself hidden. Her presence would not help things at all.

"Are you certain you have amnesia?" asked Quistis. The man who had done all the talking so far sighed wearily.

"Yes, positive. I don't even know my own name!"

"Ha, what a strange twist of events!" coughed Zell. "First we stumble across a girl named Amy Mizuno who's lost her memory, and then who should come strolling into our Garden with the same condition but old Seifer!"

"Who?" Zell froze, and choked on his own words as he gawked at the other man. He was either crazy, lying, or genuinely telling the truth. Zell heavily favored the first two.

"You… are you serious?" he squeaked. The man who had been talking nodded his head.

"Yeah. Geez, how many times do I have to tell you people?!"

"CALM," blurted one of his companions. The man sighed and apologized.

"I'm sorry, miss… Oh, uh, what did you say your name was?" The woman sighed, and tapped her chest with her hand.

"FUJIN," she identified. She tapped the arm of her companion, and blurted "RAIJIN." Then she pointed to the man who had been talking, and blurted out "SEIFER."

"I…… see," muttered the supposed-amnesiac. He swallowed, and stared at the sky. "So… my name is 'Seifer'…"

"That's it, he's gone nuts!" blurted Zell. He threw his arms up in the air, and walked away sighing and muttering. Quistis, ever-thoughtful Quistis, held her hand to her chin as she gazed at the questionable trio.

"Seifer… what was the first thing you remembered doing?" she asked. The man sighed sadly and racked his brain.

"The first thing…" he said, "was waking up somewhere very empty. I… I couldn't see anything around me, except for what looked like a ruined building. I wandered around for awhile, but I didn't know anything: who I was, where I was, or how I got there. The only thing I had that reminded me of myself was this." He then proceeded to showcase what looked like a cross between a sword and a rifle. Amy swallowed as she gazed at the lethal weapon.

"I found… uh, these two wandering around shortly thereafter," said the man, pointing to the ones identified as Fujin and Raijin. "They thought they knew who I was, so they sort of helped me out. We went fishing after that, and we all had a long talk. I… think they know who I am, but I'm not sure."

"Hey, you were the one who didn't believe us, ya know?" said Raijin. "We tried tellin' you everything, but you wouldn't hear a word of it."

"STUBBORN," said Fujin with a smile. Raijin nodded.

"Yeah, as always." The man called Seifer snorted, and shrugged as he focused his attention to the others.

"So, you see," he said, "they've been helping me out ever since. They even suggested coming here so that I could be helped. Huh, what a mistake that was!" Seifer snarled and crossed his arms, and for perhaps a short while, the group felt sympathetic.

"I see," mumbled Quistis thoughtfully. She walked over to Seifer, and gave him an inquisitive look. "Seifer, does the name 'Squall Leonhart' mean anything to you? Or 'Edea', or 'Ultimecia'?"

"No, nothing," sighed Seifer. "I barely recognize what you all say my name is. My mind is… completely empty."

"Huh, for once you're right!" spat Selphie. Quistis jerked around and gave the girl a very cold glare, and she apologized in record time.

"This… may change everything," said Quistis quietly. "Although there are many people who will never forgive you for what you have done, I suppose that it would be pointless to hold grudges if you don't even know why we're mad. That… really would not be fair." Seifer smiled lightly, and looked as if a yoke had been lifted off of him.

"Thanks," he sighed. "That's really nice of you. Maybe--maybe, now--I might stay here for a little while longer, at least until I get my bearings straightened out. That is, if you'll have me."

"I s'pose it wouldn't hurt," shrugged Irvine. "Heh, there's bound to be a lotta people round' here that'll, uh, help you out…"

"Maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea," mused Selphie. "I mean, I like him a lot more now that he's lost his memory!" Irvine snorted, and crossed his arms as he regarded his jovial friend. With a silent salute, he left the area to attend to his own business. Selphie followed suit, and soon everyone else who had gathered around was leaving. Only Amy (who had hidden very well), Quistis and the three rogues were left.

"There are no comforting words that I can say to you now," she said, bowing her head slightly. "But… while you're here, try and make yourself at home. You were right to believe that this place would help you. After all, you grew up here." She smiled lightly, and left to attend to her own duties. Seifer sighed, and scratched his neck.

"What a day," he sighed. "Well, ah… sir and ma'am--"

"Fujin and Raijin, ya know?" offered Raijin. "Aw, don't worry. A lotta other people get it wrong too, ya know?" Seifer smiled weakly, and joined them as they explored the rest of the Garden. The quiet one, Fujin, turned around just briefly, almost as if she sensed something. Amy swallowed hard, and wondered if the ghoulish one could smell her from that distance. Her heart went up a few beats as the woman stepped closer.

"Hey, Cyclops, you coming?" bellowed Raijin's voice. Fujin let out a growl.

"FOOL," she muttered. "REVENGE SOON." Ignoring her premonition, Fujin turned round and joined her two comrades, leaving Amy to sigh with relief. She noted that, all the while she was standing there, Fujin had her hand on what appeared to be a razor-tipped pinwheel.

After making sure the coast was clear, Amy got out of her hiding spot and journeyed to Selphie's room. The events of the past few minutes were still fresh on her mind, but she had other concerns to address. After the brief stroll around the Garden and into the dorm hallway, she knocked on Selphie's door and was allowed admission.

"Oh, hiee!" squealed Selphie. "How'd the test go? Man, when I took it in Trabia, I so flunked it! I had to take it three times before they let me in! What about you?"

"Oh, I passed it," said Amy simply. Never one to brag, she didn't let out that she had scored a perfect test. Selphie smiled and did an informal salute.

"Hey, that's cool! So I guess you're a student now, huh? Radical! Yeah, student life is really fun, except during test time, hehe!!" Amy smiled at the girl's childishness, and knew that they were going to become good friends in the future.

"Oh, who was your Instructor?" asked the brunette. "When I got relocated here, I was almost a SeeD myself, so I never got to know any of the teachers. So I need someone to tell me how tough they are!"

"Uh, I think I was assigned to Miss Grate," replied Amy. Selphie made a gulping sound so audible that Amy almost smiled.

"Whoa," she quivered, "Instructor Vera Iocaste Grate. I heard she's one of the toughest that Balamb has. Rumor has it, she was one of the members of the famed 'Savage Six'!"

"The what?"

"Oh, come on!!" shouted Selphie, a look of disbelief quite plain on her cute face. "Look, I know you have amnesia, but surely the name Savage Six rings a bell!"

"Sorry," sighed Amy. Selphie made a face and groaned.

"Super-duper-ultra-class-A Bummer! That's like forgetting your own age!!" She paused, and froze slightly as an even more horrid thought crossed her mind. "……You didn't--"

"Seventeen," smiled Amy. Selphie let out a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Okay, so you're not completely in the dark. Anyway, to give you the basics, the Savage Six were among the very finest soldiers this world has ever seen. During the last great Sorceress War--I mean the one against Adel of Esthar--they were a magnificent group of warriors who were openly against the regiment of Adel. General Vera Iocaste Grate was one of them, and if my memory's correct--oh, sorry about that little memory reference. Anyway, I think the other five were, uh, Brutus Franz Milton von Rightfield and Virgil Homer Smythe of Windhill, Morpheus of Esthar, Changeman of the Shumi Tribe, and Turn of Trabia. Let's see…" Selphie mutely counted the names on her fingers, and smiled as she arrived at Six.

"Oh." Amy tried her best smile, but listening to Selphie's speech was like trying to follow a soap opera. The names flew right over Amy's head like a flock of robins.

"Sorry," giggled Selphie. "Too much information? Don't worry, Instructor Grate's a really nice lady. If you say the right things, she'll tell you about the Savage Six sometimes after class--and if you're really lucky, she'll talk about it during class as well!" Amy smiled again, and suddenly realized her whole purpose for being there.

"Oh! Selphie!"

"What's up?"

"Headmaster Cid is letting me be a student, so I was wondering if you'd let me borrow your old uniform. Ah, I mean, if that's all right with you."

"Sure!" smiled Selphie. "Hold on just a sec. It's in my closet."

"Oh wow, you look cute!!"

That sentiment still rang loud and clear in Amy's ears. It was late Sunday, and almost time for bed, so she was using her free time to wander outside for a little while. Upon displaying her uniform to Selphie, the sunny brunette couldn't help but squeal. Amy had to admit that she did look rather silly in a way, but it was not too much different from the other uniforms she wore at Albert Einstein School for the Gifted.

Amy, still lost in her thoughts, was unaware of where she was going. Her mind began to wander as she walked. Would I do okay in class? Would I find Instructor Grate's teachings to be at my current level? What kind of things do they teach here, anyway?

What was the deal with those people I saw earlier? That man… he has amnesia, real amnesia… And in a way, I do too… But who is he, really? Who is Adel? Who was Ultimecia? And… and… why is everybody acting strange when I tell them my name?

As Amy continued to have these thoughts, she absentmindedly wandered into the training room…

A roaring sound disturbed her thoughts, and as Amy looked up, she froze in fright. Her heart literally stopped beating, her blood turned to ice, and tubs of sweat ran down her body. She could not even breathe, as she stared directly into the roaring mouth of a real-live Tyrannosaurus Rex.

"I, I, I, I…" She stuttered, too dumbstruck to believe this was happening. She didn't know what to believe, the fact that a T-Rex was actually walking around, or the fact that it was staring straight at her. Had she been any other girl, Amy might have fainted or else screamed. But she kept her frozen position, even as the T-Rex roared even louder. The word lunch was visible in its eyes, and even though she was scared enough to soil herself, Amy got her head straight and dived out of the way of the beast. She would have all the time in the world to think about how it got there; right now, she needed to survive.

Knowing full well that she could never defeat the creature as she was, Amy had little choice but to try her transformation. As luck would have it, her pen was still with her, but what of its powers? Hastily, Amy looked around the room to make sure nobody was watching (Which is more important, your identity or your life? she had to wonder), Amy bit her lip and tried the transformation.

"Mercury… Super Star… Power!!!"

In a flash of icy blue light, Amy ceased to exist and the frosty femme Sailor Mercury took her place. She paused just long enough to sigh with relief before tackling the beast before her. Though large, the Rex was easily fought: not only was it slow as a rock, it was exceptionally weak against water/ice attacks. Sailor Mercury found this out the fun way, as a spray of Shine Aqua Illusion blasted the beats with frosty cold.

Elsewhere, unbeknownst to Mercury, there was another person in the training room. Five minutes ago, a restless Zell Dincht had marched into the room, and was already in the process of clobbering a Bite Bug. But as he squished the insect, he heard the sound of a Rex roaring out in pain, and what might have been ice. Grumbling, Zell scurried around until he could see what was going on.

He immediately gasped in horror at the sight--but before he could be found out, Zell wisely covered his own mouth. This was unbelievable!! Here he was, actually watching the… the…! He couldn't stand it! Zell was about ready to explode!! He hastily bolted out of his position, and ran out of the room so fast that he actually made smoke sprinting out. He just HAD to tell this to everyone!

"Guys!!!" he screamed, flailing his arms around. A small group of students noticed the crazed martial artist, and paid him no heed until he spoke his next exclamation. "You're not gonna believe this!! The, the Ice Warrior!! The Ice Warrior!"

"What about her?" asked a skeptical male student. Zell nearly vomited out his answer.

"She… she… she's back!!!!"

Closing comments: This has zero relevance to the story, but does anybody think it's weird that the song for Balamb Garden is called "Ami", and in Japan, Sailor Mercury is also called "Ami"? So, basically, you could say that…… *dramatic pause* Ami is in Ami? *puts my pinkie to my mouth, ala Dr. Evil* ………You don't get it. :P Charlatans!!!!!